Wednesday, March 22, 2017

COCK-A-DOODLE- DOO! THERE’S NO NEED TO BE SO COCKY!




You’re probably sick of it - my haranguing.  I’ve ranted on similarly in the past.  Here I am ranting in the present; and, no doubt, I will again rave on in the future.  

You’d better brace yourself!  Buckle your seat belts! Grab a cup of coffee, or better still, something stiffer! 

Never will I get used to the questionable bad behaviour and/or inhumane actions by some humans, nor will I get used to idiotic decisions made by some within our society.  

Having no desire to do so, I prefer to stick with the values I was taught when I was child, values such as good manners, decency and respect for our fellowman.

Shock! Horror! Yes, I said/wrote it. There it is in black and white - “fellowman” – the meaning of which is - “a kindred member of the human race”.
  
I give no apology to the gender equality brigade (nor do I offer any apology to the politically-correct mob) such as the Yarra councillor in Victoria, for example, who, it appears, has more time and more money on her hands than good sense. 

I refer to the councillor who wants to see more “green and red lady” pedestrian signals installed across inner-city traffic lights; she who figures the figures on the traffic lights to be of the male variety. 

How does she come to that conclusion?  To me they are non-gender specific stick figures; but what would I know - nothing, obviously.   For heaven’s sake!  What’s next? 

Are she, the Yarra Council and VicRoads who have agreed to go along with her ludicrous idea hopping mad?

I like the suggestion Kochie made on Channel 7’s “Sunrise” the other day.  His bright idea to solve the traffic light problem (not that there is a problem, to my way of thought) is to have the current shape replaced with a kangaroo figure. 
 
Inevitably, if a kangaroo was chosen to grace the “Walk” and “Don’t Walk” traffic lights that, too, would cause a lot of jumping up and down.  Some would kick up a fuss.

If a roo replaced the present non-gender figures many are bound to complain. And then, whoever made the decision to use a roo would rue having leapt to such a solution to the world-shattering dilemma. They’d cop a lot of flack.  For sure it’d rebound on them.

The red kangaroo would be thrilled to be represented on the red lights, but the eastern and western grey kangaroos would be bouncing about demanding recognition. Who could blame them?  The antilopine kangaroo would pine having not been considered.

Wallabies have to be taken into consideration, too. Wallabies most definitely would throw a wobbly.  They’d have their nose out of joint for being overlooked.  No doubt they’d be wannabes, wanting to skip up to the plate.   

Ouch! If using a kangaroo or wallaby another problem has hopped into the frame.  What about the pouch?  Only female macropod marsupials are suitable, I guess, so there’d be no point the boomers trying to buck the system by putting their two bob’s worth in.

And what about the wombat?  He'll be ready for combat!

Commonsense, good manners and respect appear to have flown out the window nowadays. It doesn’t cut the mustard with me! 

Take what happened to me yesterday. The galah down the road called me cocky!  How rude and ignorant!  As you can imagine, I was taken aback. Wouldn’t you be if similar was said to you?  How dare he presume to assume! 

Why do some creatures– and that’s what they are – creatures – think they know you when they haven’t a clue?  

All I did was walk past his cage, and he started screaming out at me; “Hello Cocky!”  Raising my head high, I chose to ignore him.  I wasn’t going to be at his peck and call!  

Roasted Cauliflower with Raisin, Pine Nut Vinaigrette: Preheat oven to 250C. Cut 1 cauliflower into 8 wedges; toss wedges with 3tbs x-virgin olive oil; season to taste. Transfer to foil-lined, rimmed baking sheet.  Roast on middle shelf until cauliflower is tender and deeply browned on both sides, about 20mins, flip cauliflower half way through. Combine 3tbs x-virgin olive oil, 1tbs sherry vinegar, 1tbs honey, 2tbs rinsed, drained, finely chopped capers. 1/4c toasted pine nuts, 1/4c raisins and 2tbs finely chopped parsley; season. Transfer cauliflower to serving plate; spoon dressing over; serve immediately.

Honey Mustard Chicken with Turmeric & Pine Nuts: Pat dry 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. Combine 1tbs x-virgin olive oil, 1tsp ground turmeric, 1tsp mustard powder, salt and pepper; rub into chicken, working well into all surfaces of thighs. Whisk together 2tbs whole grain mustard, 3tbs Dijon mustard, 3tbs honey, 2tbs chicken stock, salt and pepper. Heat oil in heavy-based pan; sear thighs on both sides until golden and crispy. Drain excess oil; pour honey-mustard mixture over thighs. Bake in 190C oven, 30mins or until cooked through. Halfway cooking time, add some black olives, whole or sliced, if you like.  Serve with toasted pine nuts sprinkled over chicken.

Spinach, Chicken, Pine Nut Salad: Place 8c spinach in large salad bowl; add 1c halved cherry tomatoes, ½ corn kernels (fresh, canned or frozen), 1-1/2c chopped cooked chicken, 1 sliced, large avocado, 1/3c crumbled goat or feta cheese and 1/4c toasted pine nuts. Make dressing – combine 3tbs white wine vinegar, 2tbs x-virgin olive oil, 1tbs Dijon, salt and pepper; pour over salad; toss.  

Pear Pine Nut Cake: Heat oven to 175C. Toast 2tbs pine nuts; cool. Spray 9-inch round cake pan. Combine 1-1/4c plain flour, 3/4c sugar and 1/4tsp salt.  Cut in 1/4c cold butter until mixture looks like coarse meal. Remove 1/3c mixture to small bowl; stir in 1/4tsp cinnamon and toasted pine nuts. To remaining mixture, add 1/3rd cup sour cream, 1/4c milk, 1tsp lemon zest, 1tsp vanilla, 1/2tsp baking powder. 1/4tsp baking soda and 1 egg; beat on med-speed until well blended. Pour into cake pan; arrange 2c thinly sliced, peeled pear over batter; sprinkle reserved pine nut mixture over top. Bake 45-50mins until cooked; cool completely in pan on rack.

24 comments:

  1. I agree this political correctness stuff has gone too far and I just don't get it. Let's keep the walk, don't walk as it is, it's neutral enough. Or make it truly neutral and have red and green hand signals, with the green one waving pedestrians across. Or bouncing balls, with a static red one and a bouncing along green one.
    You know what really steams me? History. The word where some women have got their knickers in a knot over it being 'his story' and want recognition by calling it "her story" History, the word, is not gender specific, it's just a title denoting all that has passed. And women are in history books, although there aren't as many as men. Why is this? they ask; why were/are we ignored? they ask. Well I'd say it's because women were mostly at home raising and feeding and teaching the men who did the stuff that got wrote about. Noteworthy in itself, but easily forgotten by the men who wrote the books, because "that's just what Mums do". The Mums or women without children, husbands, who did step outside the homemaker pattern, were recognised and written about. Marie Curie, Amelia Earhart and so on.

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  2. Do you think maybe this whole push for recognition is based on insecurity? People who are secure in who and what they are, don't feel the need to be awarded, lauded, recognised, with everyone talking about their accomplishments. They just get on with it. For them there is no sense of being second best, or second class.

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    1. You've nailed it in one, River. Insecurity it is. They're insecure in themselves and want to push that insecurity on the rest of us! I'm fed up with all their stupid, pointless nonsense. There are far more important issues instead of wasting time on things that are not important, in my opinion.

      Thanks for commenting...twice. :)

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  3. Political correctness - don't care for it myself, no need to be 'so correct'.
    Don't watch TV in the mornings or afternoons but if away in caravan will sometimes watch Studio 10.
    Those lights, have seen some funny ones floating around on social media, sure you have too.

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    1. Hi Margaret...I don't sit and watch morning TV...but my TV is usually going on quietly in the background, if and when I'm not listening to music playing in the background, as I'm doing other things. The story re the gender on the traffic lights was written about in the newspapers, too

      The PC mob cause me to shake my head all too often. It's going to come loose and fall off one of these days soon if they don't stop their nonsense!

      Thanks for coming by. :)

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  4. Anonymous3:08 AM

    I said the same to my partner about the walk, don't walk. Isn't the stick figure kind of gender neutral? Women are now not defined by wearing dresses, no matter how much better they look when wearing dresses. Oh. Moving on, would not the simplest thing be to revert to walk and, don't walk? Even if your English is not top notch, who could not understand a red don't walk and a green walk signal. City of Yarra and City of (The People's Republic of) Moreland are quite special local areas in greater Melbourne. Aside from being endlessly entertaining, they do actually do some really good things by going against the status quo. But then I quite like the idea of a kangaroo, green in mid launch and red in repose. For true empathy you need to ask the galah down the road how it feels about everyone saying to it, hello cocky. Why are they likening me to that bastard white bird with the stupid yellow thing on its head?

    Both aforesaid municipal areas are great at self publicity, exhibit A here, someone in Queensland publicising City of Yarra. Visitor to Melbourne; let's go and check out the female traffic walk signs in City of Yarra. Once we are back home, we will share our photos of progressive Australia with Heidi and Franz.

    I have mixed feelings on political correctness, and while it can be quite stupid in the extreme, much of it is just about basic decency. I hear so much criticism about workplace health and safety rules and regulations that have gone mad, yet since workplace safety at my workplace was taken seriously, injury rates have fallen from a concerning level to zero, excluding stress. That is no physical injuries for a few years. Quite amazing in comparison to earlier years.

    Sorry for getting a little ranty and long winded. Perhaps I do need that Quick-Eze.

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    1. Hi Andrew...I do know the difference between a galah and a cockatoo...poetic license is allowed! I didn't cock it up! :)

      "Ranty" is allowed - no apology necessary...I rant all the time(read the start of my post) so I'd be a hypocrite if I ranted about your ranting! :)

      I don't have mixed feelings about political correctness. I think people have become too "precious" these days. They need to get over themselves!

      Quick-Eze are good for you! lol

      Thanks for coming by. :)

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  5. Any time there is call for change using political correctness as the reason, you can bet your life there is a monetary gain for the person requesting the change. Perhaps he or she has the company already picked out to assist with the changes that will cause a payoff to the requesting individual. I only spent a brief time in the political arena and learned that quickly. So pitiful...so sad...so corrupt.

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    1. Hi there, Annie. The PC mob are like lemmings, but that's probably an insult to lemmings. I think lemmings are more intelligent!

      Thanks for coming by. :)

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  6. Unbelievable! (Possibly my shortest ever comment).

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    1. Hey Graham.....concise...succinct. You said it all in one word!

      Thanks for coming by. :)

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  7. Trying to be politically correct is exhausting. I give up.

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    1. Hi Delores...don't give up and don't give in! Stand firm!

      Thanks for coming by. :)

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  8. Lock that woman up!

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    1. G'day Mr. Ad-Man....no...better still tie her to the traffic light pole and let her direct the traffic! ;)

      Thanks for coming by! :)

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  9. I know, it's frustrating. Sometimes you'll just wonder, am I the only one? Why is it so hard for people to know?

    But, you'll just beat yourself because for some, it doesn't bother them.

    Chill! Take it easy, my friend.

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    1. Hi Lux...I'm just having a bit of fun....willingly chilling. :)

      Thanks for popping in. :)

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  10. The world has gone crazy with PC.

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    1. It certainly has, Kay. "Crazy" is a good description...and half (if not all) the crazy practitioners of PC haven't a clue!

      Thanks for coming by. :)

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  11. Great rant, Lee. And great rant topic. One anyone with half a brain would agree with. I hope!

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    1. G'day, Pauline... nice to hear from you. I hope all is well. Thanks for coming by. :)

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  12. I know. I feel the same sometimes.
    I hope you are OK Lee. We are hearing about a big cyclone in Queensland. Hope you'll post soon to let us know you're safe.

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    1. Thanks for your concern, Jenny.

      Cyclone Debbie crossed the coast around noon yesterday (Tuesday) - she crossed near Airlie Beach, just south of the township of Bowen (all familiar areas to me....I spent 13 years in the North Queensland and have written article about those various areas in which I lived and worked in over the years).

      Where I live now, Tamborine Mountain, is in South-East Queensland - in the Gold Coast Hinterland - Mount Tamborine is over 1000kms south from those townships mentioned above. We had perfect weather here yesterday, as is normal when cyclones are further up north sucking everything into their "eye".

      Now it's turned into a rain depression, heading southwards. We, down this way are expected to receive the aftermath...heavy rains starting probably in the early hours of tomorrow (Thursday) morning or late tonight...lasting for a couple of days.

      Significant damage was caused up in those areas within Cyclone Debbie's path. The damage is only unfolding now as daylight arrives. Much of the area affected is also a "food bowl" so crops such as tomatoes, capsicums (peppers), rockmelons and honeydews etc., and much more were affected. As was the sugar cane which the area is noted for.

      Flooding, of course, is a worry. More will be learned of the extent of the damage as the day unfolds.

      Yesterday, from the early hours of the morning, I watched television all day...following everything as it unfolded. I believed the resilient folk who live up in those areas deserved my respect and concern. I felt obliged, in the best possible way to keep abreast of everything that was occurring minute by minute. While phones up that way were still operating I spoke with a couple of friends to let them know they were in my thoughts. When things settle down a bit I will phone them again a little later in the hope I can get through and are able to speak with them.

      My memories of my time on Newry Island when Cyclone Joy decided to pay me a visit during Christmas 1990. I wrote a post about that particular event back in December, 2015. Every minute detail came flooding back to me yesterday. Cyclone certainly are memorable!

      Thank you very much...I appreciate you asking.

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  13. I would be scratching my head over that. :)

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